Risu
by TerangrealS
Summary: *Puts up 3rd chapter* Now then, there's this girl named Risu, and she travels to Trunksy's world. wow. But, her power level, it's like... well, high. And she's NOT from our world, she's from like... somewhere else that I can't tell you - you find out.
1. Chapter One

Risu  
By: TerangrealS  
  
Chapter 1  
Q: What do you get when you combine a human girl with an unbelievable power level from one dimension with a couple of horny teenage Saiyan boys in another dimension?  
A: A whole lotta freaky shit.  
  
  
It was the middle of the night. All throughout the dark house, no one was stirring, not even a mouse. But something was about to be horribly wrong.  
Gohan lay asleep in bed next to Videl. Pan, troubled by a nightmare, had curled up in between her father and mother, and was now contentedly dreaming about a fairy wonderland that all little girls wish they live in. Gohan was in a deep sleep, and little less than a bomb going off under his head would have woken him. Videl slept soundly as well, safe next to her husband.  
  
In a different world…  
  
Another girl was asleep in bed. The streetlights barely lit her room, though her curtains were drawn. One hand lay beneath her head, in an effort to get to sleep on a restless night. The only sound was an occasional car passing through the quiet neighborhood in which she lived.  
Outside, the chill wind blasts through the bare wintry branches, making icicles clink together like crystal ornaments on a tree as the branches creak and moan under their heavy burden. The moon is barely visible through the turbulent clouds, lighting the treetops like a huge, glowing eye amidst claws rising out of muddy graves. Out in the cold, lonely night, something has its sights on the girl. Something evil.  
A creature, at first barely visible in the darkness as the moon passes behind a cloud. Two slanted, glowing red eyes that narrow at the window of the room where she sleeps. Its clawlike hands are held out as if holding something, but there is nothing there. Floating above the treetops, it is a phantom of death. Long, dark, greasy locks of hair are thrown up in a sudden gust of wind, revealing the hideous face of a monster. A humanlike monster, it seems, with basic features, though they seem horribly distorted and his skin is a sickening color of grayish-yellowish-green.  
A faint glow starts about half a foot above its hands, like the dying embers of a fire. The light flickers uncertainly, and then grows in brightness until it resembles a lone red star, shining against the moon. Then all at once, as if of its own accord, it bursts into a thousand rays of glittering ice crystals, and they speed towards her window. They do not slow approaching her house, but instead seem to gain speed.   
A split second before they hit her window, they merge and slip through the glass as if it were water. It ripples as the starburst of light passes through it, but returns to tranquil stillness in time to see the strange creature's light absorb itself into the girl. She is still asleep, does not even realize what is happening. If only she had known, she would have maybe guessed what was in store for her.  
The monster is now close to her house, so close that if he had not been floating well above her roof he could have touched it. Concentrating hard, he focuses unused energies and draws upon reserves as he calls upon an untapped power within himself that he had sworn he would only use in the utmost of emergencies. Red light turns orange, and then yellow, as he tears open a small piece of spacefabric itself, the stuff that makes up time and matter and dimensions and hopes and dreams and thoughts and emotions and millions of wonderful things that we can never imagine imagining even if we had many lifetimes to do so.  
He uses what is left of his power to lift her from her bed, still asleep, and to hurtle her into who knows what dimension. Heaving himself into the spacefabric rip, he barely has enough time for his last thought, hoping that his precautions were not in vain, and praying that he sent them to the right place.  
  
Back in their world…  
  
Gohan sat straight up in bed, startled. The power that had interrupted his peaceful dream was amazing… incredible! Videl looked up sleepily from beside him. "What is it, Gohan?" He could only shake his head in confusion.  
Something's out there. I need to contact Goten he thought. Pan stirred in her sleep, and he laid a comforting hand on her head as he tried to slip out of bed without waking her. "I'll be back soon," he whispered to Videl, and kissed her gently on the forehead. As he walked out the door of their bedroom, he added a silent I hope.  
"Goten? Are you at least halfway awake?" he said into the phone, trying to keep his voice down low.  
"Yeah, but… Gohan, it's three in the morning. There's this thing decent people need, y' know, called sleep…" a weary Goten protested. "What on earth could you possibly want that can't wait until sunrise?"  
Gohan sighed. "Stretch your mind out towards the west. Try to keep calm. Do you sense anything different?"  
There was a brief silence, and then Goten yelled at him, "Holy shit! What the hell is that? Where did it come from? Tell me that's you, and you've just gotten about ten times as powerful!"  
Gohan held the phone away from his ear as Goten's curses filled the air. "Try to keep it down! Listen, I need you to help me hunt down whatever's out there."  
Goten listened with interest. "You mean without Mom's permission? I'm in! Where should I meet you?"  
"Outside my house. And Goten," Gohan added with a mischievous grin, "don't get caught."  
"Don't worry about that. I'm the master at sneaking out. You could have been, too, if you hadn't studied so much, big bro." *click*   
Gohan smiled as he set the phone down. With that kind of attitude, the worst thing that could happen was that Chi-chi would catch Goten and probably try to take on the big power level out there. He could easily imagine her winning, too. Ah, to escape the constraints of childhood.  
  
Outside Gohan's house…  
  
"Glad you made it, Goten." Gohan said as he slapped his little brother playfully on the back. Goten grinned back at him and returned the slap.  
"Shall we get going?" Goten asked, suddenly serious. Gohan nodded, adopting his brother's swift change of emotions, and they both closed their eyes and concentrated on ki levels.   
First they locked onto the two powerful levels that were the closest, those belonging to Vejita and Trunks. Reaching out farther, and to the west, they sensed a wildly powerful ki somewhere not too far away.  
They opened their eyes and turned to nod decisively at one another before they burst into the air in an explosion of power.  
The ki became clearer as they got closer, and it turned out that it was just as powerful as they had originally thought, maybe more. "I sure hope this guy's friendly," said Goten loudly over the wind of their swift passage. Gohan nodded, and put on an extra burst of speed.  
They began to approach a city, Kite Town. The fluorescent multicolored lights cast odd shadows on their clothing as they sped over the bustling suburbia. They slowed as they felt the ki approach them.  
"I think they're in the city," Gohan said as they came to a slow stop, pointing down towards the brightly lit streets.  
"You think we should go and look for them there? Is there a good chance of finding them? There are millions of people down there." Goten replied doubtfully.  
"With power like that, whoever he is, he'll stand out like a neon sign, no matter how many people there are," Gohan said firmly, and flew down towards the city, giving Goten no choice but to follow.  
They landed in a dark alley, so as not to startle people and alert their prey. They stepped out from the shadows, and noticed that few people were on the streets. This is going to be easier than I thought Gohan thought confidently, and started moving in the direction of the ki.  
  
After waking up in a strange city, the girl was considerably shocked, but knew that there was nothing she could do. She had no clue where she was, except that she was in Kite Town, not that that was much help.  
She wandered around for a while, still in her faded blue pajamas, afraid to go to sleep for fear of where she might end up. She knew about the kind of people that lurked on the fringe of the shadows in cities, waiting for a pretty unsuspecting young girl or boy to pass by.  
After a while, the battle inside her between wanting to stay unseen and stay in the light lay unresolved, so she achieved a compromise by leaning against the side of a building, with the light of a corner store illuminating only half her figure, and leaving the rest to darkness.  
Two men passed by, obviously looking for something, and she held her breath as their searching gaze passed over her. She let it out in relief as they moved on. Suddenly, the younger of the two, a boy with weirdly spiky hair, put a hand on the other's arm and whispered something to him. They turned, and began to walk straight toward her.  
Her heart was pounding furiously, but she tried to act cool and composed as they stopped in front of her.  
"Well?" one asked, the older one, in an unreadable tone.  
"Well?" she answered, hoping her voice was steady.  
He gave her a dry look.  
"Do I know you?" she asked, which was actually entirely possible, since they both seemed vaguely familiar.  
"The question is, are you on the good guy's team or the bad guy's team?" the younger one put in, which earned him a warning glance from the other.  
She raised one eyebrow, a strange talent that was quite useful in situations like these. "I didn't know there were 'teams'," she answered in an irritated tone. "Look, is there some reason that you are talking to me? Because if their isn't, then I'm leaving. And don't try anything."  
The two exchanged unreadable looks, and then the older one said, "Your power level is… above average. We just want to know, will you fight with us, or against us?"  
She laughed with relief. They were just a pair of loonies. "Fight? Who? You? Why? Power level? What do you mean?"  
The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Don't play stupid, okay? We're onto you. If you don't answer, me and Gohan will be forced to seriously mess you up."  
Her eyes snapped open at the mention of the name, and her gaze locked onto Gohan. "Gohan?" she whispered, bewildered. "And… Goten?" She looked over at the other boy. "Is this a dream? Are you real?"  
Goten grinned boyishly. "Hey, you know my name! I'm famous! I'll pinch you to make sure you're not asleep."  
The girl shook her head. "Look, Goten, Gohan, I just woke up in this place. I went to sleep in a normal bed, and I woke up here. Don't give me this crap about power levels, just tell me that I'm not still asleep."  
Gohan nodded sagely. "I see you're still confused. You're no threat, but your power is amazing. Please, train with us! Every couple of years, a bad guy comes along, and with your ki level, nobody would stand a chance."  
She smiled wearily, and said, "Then you'll have to get me a bed for tonight. My home is definitely nowhere near here, and I'll probably never see it again. You want me to train with you, then you'll have to provide me with life's necessities. And please not at Chi-chi's place!"  
Goten gaped open-mouthed at her. "How much do you know about us? We just met you!"  
It was her turn to grin. "It's a long story, one that does not need telling. Just trust me, I know enough." She bowed. "I'm Risu! Nice to meet you both." Close enough to my real name, they won't care anyways she thought to herself.  
Goten shut his mouth. "Nice to meet you too, Risu!" said Gohan cheerfully, and with a trace bit of relief.  
Of course, they are probably mistaken about a powerful ki level, but a few moments in the spotlight is enough for me Risu thought contentedly. "So where am I staying?" she asked out loud.  
"Um… we have an extra bedroom at our house," Goten managed to stutter (he was just a little confused; after all, he hadn't had his full eight hours yet).  
Risu shook her head. "I'm ready to put up with a lot of things, but Chi-chi's not one of them. I'll pass."  
Gohan struggled not to smile. "I've got a guest bedroom, if my wife Videl doesn't mind. Also, you could ask Bulma if you can stay at Capsule Corp. They have plenty of rooms there, though I don't know why you would want to stay closer to Vejita than you'd have to."  
Risu nodded. "I'll stay at your house tonight, if you don't mind me, and then I'll see if I can stay at Capsule Corp. I really don't want to intrude on anyone, though…" she blushed, knowing that she would be in debt to these people.  
Gohan waved away her concerns. "I don't mind at all, and I'm sure Videl or Bulma would be glad to have another girl to talk to. But it's getting late, so we should go." Goten nodded in agreement, and stifled a yawn.  
The two men (well, Goten's a teenager) walked into a dark alley, followed by Risu. Their ki glowed around them, and they were about to jump into the air when Risu held up her hand to stop them. Puzzled, they powered down and looked at her. "I can't… fly," Risu explained, and blushed in embarrassment. Goten and Gohan facefaulted in classic anime style.  
"Her power level's ten times above yours, and she can't even fly??" Goten gasped. Gohan sighed.  
"You still have to get me home!" Risu exclaimed. Looking over at Gohan, who nodded encouragingly at him, Goten awkwardly put his arms around her, and they both rose into the air. They were both blushing by the time they made it to Gohan's house. As soon as they touched down, she leaped away from him and towards the door.  
"Thanks a bunch!" she called out, waving, as he flew off. Gohan opened the door, and motioned her inside.  
  
Videl was waiting in the hallway. She looked from Risu to Gohan, obviously confused. "Wh- what? Who is she, Gohan?" she asked.  
Gohan explained, "Risu has no place to stay tonight, so I offered her a room…" Videl's expression didn't become enlightened, and so Gohan lied, "Um… she's, uh, Goten's girlfriend." Risu blushed (a deeper red than before) and shot Gohan a half angry, half embarrassed look. He shrugged apologetically.  
Videl finally smiled. "Well, I'm really glad we could help you out. Here, the guest bedroom is this way." She took Risu's arm and led her down the hallway, much to his relief.  
She showed Risu the room, and asked if there was anything she could get for her. "Oh, no, thank you. I'm really very grateful for you letting me stay here. I can't thank you enough; you really helped me out of a tight spot. Your husband told me you were really great, and now I see why." Risu replied.  
Videl blushed and murmured, "Thank you. If you need anything, just come ask me. Have a good sleep."  
  
The next morning…  
  
Risu yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She rolled out of bed, and looked up in surprise as she only fell a few inches down instead of the expected two and a half feet.  
Suddenly realizing where she was, Risu sighed in frustration. She stood up and held her head as a wave of dizziness struck her like a pickup truck, almost causing her to fall back down. She staggered to the door and stuck her head out.  
Smells of breakfast wafted down the hall, and made Risu's mouth water. She moved down the hall slowly, peeking in the doorways until she found the kitchen.  
Pan and Gohan sat at the table, waiting for Videl, who held two heaping plates of steaming pancakes. She gave the bigger one to Gohan and the little one to Pan. Then she looked up.  
"Oh, you're awake!" Videl said in delight. "Did you have a good sleep?" Pan looked over at Risu in confusion, because she hadn't known that they had a guest. Risu smiled at her.  
"Yeah. Good morning!" she exclaimed, much different from her usual I'm-not-fully-awake-until-at-least-noon self.  
Gohan looked up, not aware of her until she'd spoken. "Good morning, Risu," he said in between bites. "Glad you slept well." With that, he turned his full attention on his food, inhaling a vast amount.  
"How many pancakes would you like?" Videl asked.  
"Oh… about five or six, thanks," Risu answered. Gohan facefaulted.  
"Are you okay, honey?" Videl asked in concern. Gohan nodded, but the infamous anime sweat drop appeared right next to his head. She shot him a you'd-better-behave look and went back to the stove.  
"What's wrong?" Risu asked Gohan.  
"Nothing, it's just… I though you were a Saiyan," Gohan answered.  
Taken aback, Risu said, "Of course not! I'm human, through and through, 100%. Why would I be anything more?"  
Gohan blushed, looked abashed (embarrassed) and rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to look at ease. "Never mind."  
Pan looked up at Risu with an innocent adoring seven-year-old gaze. "Why are you so different?" she asked timidly.  
Risu sighed. I forgot, Pan's ¼ Saiyan. She must sense something different about me too. "I'm not," she said out loud. "But you're a cute little girl. What's your name?"  
Pan smiled. "My name is Pan. What's yours? Daddy called you Risu. Is that your name?"  
Risu nodded. "That's right. You're a smart little girl."  
Pan cocked her head to the side and studied Risu. "Are you sure there's nothing different about you? It's kinda like the way that Daddy and Uncle Goten are different, and Bra and 'Jita and Trunksie too."  
Trunksie?? A teardrop appeared next to Risu's head. "I guess I'm just that way," she said, barely able to answer due to the shock from Pan's 'nickname'.  
Pan was quite puzzled, but she just dismissed it from her mind and smiled up at Risu. "'Kay!" she said brightly, and returned to eating.  
Risu was at this point very uncomfortable. "Um… I hate to say this," she whispered to Gohan, "but I don't have any clothes besides my pajamas. I'm stuck. Help me out!"  
Gohan nodded thoughtfully. "Videl?" he called.  
"Yes honey?" Videl answered from over the stove where she was fixing Risu's pancakes.  
"Could you help out Risu? She needs some clothes."  
"Oh? Yes, I think I have some old things that might fit her."  
Risu visibly relaxed, and let out a big sigh of relief. "Thanks," she whispered to Gohan, who smiled somewhat fatherly and winked at her.  
Videl set out a plate of pancakes for Risu. "Thank you very much," Risu said with a wide smile. She began wondering Why don't they speak Japanese? I'll test it out later; I don't want to invade any more on their hospitality than I already have: a bed, food, clothes. How will I ever repay them?  
"I'll get you some clothes after breakfast," said Videl cheerfully, probably because of the manners of her guest. "If you need anything, just ask me, and I'll get it for you!" And with that, she walked out of the kitchen.  
"You have an amazing wife," Risu commented to Gohan while eating her pancakes with a deliberate slowness.  
"I know. I love her," he replied as he ate. This seemed about as far as he wanted to discuss it. Risu finished her pancakes and set out in search of Videl.  
She found her watering a pretty orange flower in a pot next to a window. "What kind of flower is that?" Risu asked as she stood next to Videl.  
"It's a sunburst. I just love them! They're beautiful, and they smell really good too," Videl answered. Risu shook her head and smiled to herself. Who would have thought she thought, Videl, a gardener!  
"Would you like some clothes?" Videl asked. "I don't think I have something in exactly your size, but my friend Bulma probably does. She has a lot of extra clothes. I'll call her in a few minutes, and then drive you over. I'm sure she won't mind."  
Risu thanked Videl kindly, and ten minutes later both of them (Risu still in blue pajamas) were in the aircar on their way to the Capsule Corp. dome.  
  
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corp. …  
  
Vejita was contentedly finishing breakfast when Bulma came in the kitchen. "What are you doing, woman?" he asked gruffly, though she knew by now that his attitude was all for show.  
"If you must know, Videl is bringing over Goten's girlfriend. As far as I understand it, she's an orphan and she needs some clothes," Bulma replied, looking a bit distracted. "I can't find where I put a box of some of my old clothes that don't fit me anymore."  
Vejita grunted. "Why doesn't she just get stuff from charity instead of from you?"  
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Because Videl is my friend, and friends help each other out. And I'm sure the poor girl doesn't want to be seen taking charity. It's a pride thing; you should be able to understand that." Vejita just grumbled.  
Suddenly his head jerked up, and he gasped. "What's wrong, Vejita?" Bulma asked worriedly.  
"There's… something… out there. Something extremely powerful. Much more powerful than Kakarotto's brat," he said in a low voice. Suddenly the doorbell rang.  
Bulma looked at him. "Should I get it?" she asked quietly.  
Vejita shook his head. "Let me," he replied.  
Bulma's brain kicked in, and she realized, "If they're evil, then why would they ring the doorbell?" she wondered out loud. Vejita shrugged.  
He ran down the stairs to the door, followed closely by Bulma. He opened the door, to reveal a smiling Videl and a strange girl in blue pajamas (Risu).  
"Oh, is this Goten's girlfriend?" Bulma asked, suddenly cheerful as she forgot about danger. "What's your name?"  
"Risu," the girl replied shyly.  
"Why don't you come in, Videl and Risu?" Bulma said, opening the door wide…  
"Wait!" Vejita's hand shot out and blocked the passage, making it impossible for either Videl or Risu to enter. "You!" he spat at Risu. "You are not what you seem!"  
Risu kept herself from visibly shaking, trying to keep her fear of an angry Vejita from showing. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked.  
He snarled. "You know what I mean!" he shouted. She was about to faint…  
…when her inner support system kicked in and pumped her full of adrenaline. Now she was in fighter mode. She strengthened visibly, held her head up higher, and met Vejita eye-to-eye. He was expecting her to fight him now, but her reaction was quite different… "No, I don't! Just because I happen to have a power level, you think I'm evil? I'm not! Now please move, because I'm cold and I would really like to come in!"  
"Huh?" he said involuntarily, now confused. Videl was taken aback, because the girl standing in front of her was acting so completely different from the sweet, grateful one who had spent the night at her house. Bulma was just shocked.  
"Vejita, for heaven's sake, let them in!" Bulma reprimanded, recovering quickly. He shot her an irritated glance, and then fixed his eyes on Risu.  
I'll be watching you he said in her mind, a method of communication that she was not used to and that left her startled. With that he stalked back into the house in a customary fit of anger.  
Bulma smiled. "Don't mind him. Come in! I was just looking for a box of old clothes that I think might fit you."  
  
Risu felt better after she was properly clothed in a tight white sleeveless t-shirt and black leggings under jean shorts. Bulma had even found some black boots that fit her, and they completed the ensemble with just the right effect.  
"Thank you again!" she said to Bulma, who just shook her head and replied, "I was just going to throw those old clothes out anyways. They look good on you." This made Risu smile again.  
After a while, Videl left with the excuse that she had to take care of Pan. After she had left, Risu asked Bulma, "I need a place to stay, because I'm taking up the only guest bedroom at Gohan's house, and I was just wondering if I could live here for a while. Could I please?"  
Bulma nodded. "I would love to have you here. That is, if you don't mind Vejita. I don't know what he'll say about it."  
  
"WHAT?" Vejita roared as Bulma informed him of the news. "Why are we letting that," he said, pointing at Risu, "live here with us?" Bulma patiently explained once more that Risu needed a place to stay, and that as friends of the Son family they were going to take in Risu.  
"I," began Vejita, "will not-" Risu cut him off with an as yet unpracticed thought speech.  
It will be a good chance for you to keep an eye on me, won't it, Prince Vejita. He stopped short and looked straight at her. Don't bring Bulma into this. She's nice. Keep it between you and me she thought furiously at him in an attempt to stop the inevitable tirade.   
"Fine. She stays," was all he said. Bulma gaped in disbelief. But you have some explaining to do later, little girl. And don't think you can get out of it he thought silently at her.  
"Done," she said out loud. He gave her a hard look and moved on.  
"Well," said Bulma nervously, eyeing his retreating back. "What's wrong with him?"  
"I wouldn't know. Thank you again for letting me stay."  
"It's nothing. When Trunks gets back home, I'll introduce you to him and Bra. He's out doing something with Goten right now."  
"Okay."  
  
Later…  
  
Risu was napping out on the dome, taking advantage of the warmth of the setting sun, when Trunks and Goten flew up. Trunks, sensing the enormous power, glanced questioningly at Goten. They stopped.  
"What IS that?" Trunks asked in bewilderment.  
"She is Risu," Goten replied. "Me and Gohan picked her up last night in the city. She can't even fly."   
Trunks crossed his arms in exactly the same way Vejita did when he was being stubborn. "How are you sure she's not evil?" he asked pointedly.  
Goten sighed in exasperation. "Do you sense any evil over there? An enemy would not be asleep on their enemy's roof, trust me. She does know a lot about us for someone who just met us, though. Kinda mysterious, but I don't think she's all that bad."  
Trunks looked over at the sleeping girl. "I don't trust her."  
"What do you mean, you don't trust her! You haven't even met her yet! I've only just met her and flew her home, and I trust her!"  
Trunks stubbornly refused to answer, and looked up at Goten. "Can I have a look at Wonder Girl, then?"   
Goten shrugged. "Go ahead."  
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Don't try to play serious. Is she cute?"  
Goten blushed. "I don't know, I didn't get a good look at her last night. I was tired."  
Trunks grinned. "Sure ya' didn't. I thought you said you flew her to Gohan's? Didn't you get a good look then?"  
An anime sweat drop appeared next to Goten's head. "Yeah, but it was dark, and I kinda had to look where I was going, and…"  
Trunks punched his shoulder playfully. "Whatever. I'm checking her out, I don't know about you. If you're coming, then hurry."  
Goten's sweat drop faded, and he nodded. "Okay."  
Both of them flew over near where she was sleeping, with their backs to the sun, and sized her up. Goten was shocked. I thought her hair was brown he thought. It's really golden-red, but you can't tell unless the sun is shining on it. And she's got such a pretty face…  
"She's so…" said Trunks, who froze as she opened one eye.  
Seeing Trunks' and Goten's silhouettes against the golden sky, she opened both and sat up. "Whatcha doin', boys?" she asked.  
Goten snapped out of his daze and worked his mouth for a few seconds before coming up with a good excuse. "Um… Risu, this is my friend. He wanted to meet you. His name is…"  
"Trunks. Yeah, I know," interrupted Risu without blinking.  
"Have we… met?" asked Trunks in confusion.  
"I've seen you before, but never in real life," confessed Risu as she rose unsteadily to her feet. "But I never imagined you would be so beautiful." And then she stepped forward, took hold of his face gently with both hands, and studied him with bluegreen eyes without trying to hide it.  
Trunks blushed a really deep red. "Ah… thanks… I think," he muttered in reply, afraid to turn from her intense gaze.  
She stopped studying and looked into his eyes, realizing that she was making him uncomfortable. "Sorry," she mumbled, releasing his face and stepping back.  
Goten elbowed Trunks. "She really likes you," he whispered into Trunks' ear. Trunks gave him a look that had 'shut up' written all over it. "Hey," Goten said to him, "it's not my fault that the most powerful person in the universe is a girl, and she has a crush on you." He grinned, awaiting the eruption.  
Risu cut in. "Goten, whatever you're saying to him, it's embarrassing him, so shut up. I happen to enjoy peace and quiet, unlike you boys, and Trunks is too much of Vejita's son not to be stubborn enough to interrupt it." Goten tried to look innocent, while Trunks looked stunned.  
"H-how do you know so much about me?" he asked in surprise.  
"I'm a girl. It's called women's intuition," she said with a smile.  
A little sweat drop appeared next to Trunks' head. "Uh… sure, if you say so."  
Risu smiled. "I'm living at Capsule Corp. now, so I guess I'll be seeing you a bunch," she told Trunks. Goten facefaulted.  
"I… thought you were staying with Gohan," he gasped in surprise.  
She shook her head. "Nope, I felt like I was intruding. They have plenty of room for me here, and me and Vejita reached an agreement about it."  
Trunks shook his head. "That doesn't sound like Dad," he said. He looked straight at Risu. "If he knew someone with a power level like yours, and he didn't have proof that you were a friend, then he'd kill you first and ask questions later. He's not really the talkative type."  
Risu hid a grin with her hand. "Yeah, I noticed. He tried to keep me from coming in. Good thing Bulma was there to save me just in time."  
Goten looked puzzled. "Bulma saved you? But I thought that Vejita doesn't listen to anyone, not even his own wife."  
Risu rolled her eyes. "Obviously you don't know the way things work in the Briefs' house. The dad is in charge of the household, bad guys, and stuff like that, and the mom is in charge of the dad. It's that simple; maybe even enough so that you can understand."  
Goten blushed. Trunks' jaw dropped. He had never heard his household described like that, since most people assumed that his violent and unpredictable father took advantage of his mother.  
"Anyways… I'm going to go in to eat… see ya' later," she said cheerfully, and walked away.  
Both Trunks and Goten were left speechless. They'd never encountered a girl quite so… different… before.  
"What's up with her?" Trunks said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Goten shrugged.  
"She likes you though, Mr. Lady's Man," Goten said with a chuckle.  
"Do I hear some jealousy, Goten? You can have that crazy girl. I, for one, like to play it safe by only staying with more or less normal girls," Trunks protested.  
"Oh? Like that one who only wore black, had two brow rings and a nose ring, right? That's pretty normal."  
"Oh, shut up. At least I had a girlfriend."  
Goten was silent, and looked away at the horizon. Trunks, sensing that he had come up on a sensitive subject, backed off. "Sorry, man. Guess that was kind of a cheap shot."  
Goten smiled and looked over at him. "That's OK. Risu had the right idea. Let's go eat." Trunks nodded, and they went inside.  
  
"Have you already eaten?" Bulma asked Risu, who was reclining back on the couch and trying to nap.  
"Yeah. I should probably call Videl and tell her that you let me stay here. I'm really grateful," Risu thanked Bulma again.  
Bulma smiled. "Thanks, but you know, you already thanked me at least ten times. One is enough. Don't worry about it."  
Risu smiled back at her. "I'll keep that in mind." She got up, stretched, and said, "Bulma? Could you tell me where the phone is?"  
Bulma looked around. "Yeah, there's one over in the other room. Here," she said, scribbling something on a piece of paper, "is Videl's number. I'll get you something to sleep in. Your room can be upstairs. I'll show you it later, or right now, if you want."  
Risu nodded. "Yes, I'd like that." Bulma cheerfully complied, leading Risu up a flight of stairs and down a hallway.  
"This is Vejita's and my and room," she said, pointing out one door, "and that one's Trunks'. Next to his is Bra's. This one is empty, so you can sleep there. There's only one bathroom connected to all three, so you'll have to share. I hope you don't mind."  
Risu shook her head. "Not at all. Anyways, beggars can't be choosers. This is much better than the worst I've lived in."  
Bulma cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "So where did you come from, Risu? I mean, where did you live before, and why were you kicked out?"  
Risu looked away. "Well, Gohan told Videl that I'm Goten's girlfriend, but I'm really not. I think you should be able to understand. I come from a different dimension."  
Bulma's eyes widened. "Really? I didn't imagine… oh, never mind. What's this about you and a power level? Vejita seemed to have a problem with it."  
Risu shrugged. "I honestly have no clue. Where I come from, there are no 'power levels'. People don't fly. The closest you can come to superhuman is in a video game. And there are no aliens."  
Bulma gasped. "Really? Wow, you must live in such a strange… er, different world."  
Risu nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty different, but a lot of things are the same. Our technology isn't as advanced as yours. We can't travel back in time. We don't have your genius, though, so I suppose that has something to do with it. No capsules." She gave Bulma a tight smile. "I guess I'll just have to get used to it, though."  
Bulma blinked as she remembered that Risu was her guest. "I'll take some tests on you later, if you don't mind, but right now you just get settled in." And with that she left.  
Risu opened the door, and surveyed her new room. It was probably a guest bedroom before, with generic white curtains shading the only window and a navy blue bedspread. Just a plain, white room with a desk, chair, phone, lamp, bed, and TV. Risu pulled off her shoes and held them in her hand while trying to decide which door led to the closet. She chose one, and was rewarded with a dusty, bare closet that was just large enough to hold a few clothes. That's all I've ever needed she reminded herself.  
Risu threw in her shoes, shut the closet door, walked over to the bed and plopped down on it. She stared at the ceiling, at the wall, at the window, at the generic items arranged on the desk. I'm going to have to fix this room up she thought to herself. It's too… bright… for my taste. She sighed in boredom and rolled over.  
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said. When the door opened to reveal Trunks holding a box full of miscellaneous items, she got up off of the bed and stood looking at him. "Well?" she asked.  
Trunks blinked. "I… uh… Mom told me to bring you this stuff. She thought you might need it."  
Risu smiled and took the box from him. "Wow, this is heavy," she said, setting it down on the bed. "Thanks," she said, turning back to him.  
Trunks uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other. "Also, Vejita wanted to talk to you. He didn't seem to happy about it, either, so be careful not to set him off," he added.  
Risu nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that he didn't seem to like me too much. Where is he?"  
Trunks pointed down the hall from where he was standing in the doorway. "Outside, in the front. Good luck." He walked back down the hall, and after a few moments Risu heard a door shut.  
He must have gone to his room. Smart guy, wanting to miss the explosion she thought wryly. I've made him so uncomfortable, after that first scene. I wish I hadn't done that. He couldn't possibly understand what I've been through, why I'm like the way I am. If only I had come here knowing him, the way I had before with Ryan. Life would have been that much easier. Oh, well, might as well not keep the mighty prince waiting. Risu ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and then walked out of her room and towards the front door. She took a deep breath, and plunged into the warm afternoon air.  
  
"I've been waiting for you." The voice was cold, and Risu spun around to see Vejita leaning against the wall next to the front door. "You've got some explaining to do, you little wench. Who are you, and where are you from?" he continued, walking towards her and stopping a mere two feet away, arms crossed and expression a cross between his usual sneer and grim determination.  
Risu gave him a don't-mess-with-me look and said simply, "I'm Risu and I'm from Earth."  
He unfolded his arms and held them at his sides, fists clenched involuntarily. "Don't lie to me, girl! You have no idea what you are dealing with!"  
Risu made an attempt at sneering, even though inside cold shivers of fear raced down her spine and she had trouble facing Vejita's black-eyed stare. "Sure I do. A Saiyan prince with years of training, and then given to a supposed ally by his father the king, kicked off his high horse when he learns that a low-class warrior is actually more powerful than him. Twenty years later, he's still trying to be better than second best."  
Vejita's rage was rebelling; she could tell. His teeth gritted almost audibly, and each muscle was eagerly taut in anticipation. He was barely hanging on to his calm attitude. Risu was scarcely able to keep herself from running as fast as she could in the opposite direction.  
Vejita said in low, dangerous tones between clenched teeth, "What do you want? Who are you?"  
Risu scoffed at his anger. "I told you already. I know you, Vejita. I know you and your whole family and your whole world. I'm not a threat. Just remember that I know you. You were the one who wanted to talk to me. I'm from another world, another time, another dimension. Don't mess with me."  
Vejita's fragile grip on self-control broke, and before she could breathe his hands were around her neck and squeezing the breath out of her. It was horrible. I… can't… breathe… icantbreatheicantscreamicantliveimgonnadieoshitoshitoshit she thought deliriously. After a few moments, she stopped struggling and hung limp, considering her options. kick Vejita… run. die. act dead. maybe live her survival instinct whispered in her ear. Risu did neither.  
What she did was glare at Vejita, who was looking at her with hate… and possibly pain… in his eyes. Maybe it was a bad idea to try to stare down someone choking you, but Risu didn't care. She grabbed both his wrists, felt for the pressure point right on the vein, and squeezed as hard as she could. No effect.  
He laughed at her. "Foolish girl, you picked the wrong man to anger. Now you will suffer for it."  
Risu shook her head, refusing to let him have victory. Lack of oxygen was beginning to affect her; she could feel the blood pounding in her ears and her sight dimmed. With her last bit of energy, she took careful aim and kicked Vejita… right between the legs. He yelped, letting go of her as he bent in half in pain.  
Risu crumpled to the ground like her bones had melted; she did not have enough energy to do more than gasp for breath. Vejita regained his composure as quickly as he could, and peered over into her face while she was still too weak to stand up.  
"That took guts," he said admiringly. "However, it won't do you much good once I'm through with you…"   
At that exact moment, Trunks came out of the house, and this is what he saw: Risu sprawled on the ground like a used and useless rag doll, and Vejita standing over her with an evil glint in his eyes.  
"Hey, what's wrong?" he said, running over to his father and Risu. Vejita glared at his son for interrupting his speech.  
"Trunks," Risu whispered. He looked at her. "Trunks," she repeated, this time louder, "your father is crazy."  
Trunks blushed in embarrassment, looking at Vejita. "Vejita, what did you do this time?" he asked in exasperation. He looked back at Risu. "I told you to be careful," he told her. "If you had listened to me, then you would probably be in better shape."  
Risu smiled weakly. "Sorry," she whispered.  
Vejita growled in frustration. "Take her and get out of my sight," he snarled at his son. When Trunks hesitated for a split second, Vejita kicked Risu hard. She flew through the air, and landed on the ground a good thirty feet away; her head snapped back, and both of them could hear the sharp crack as it hit.  
Trunks frowned at his father. "That wasn't necessary," he informed Vejita quietly.  
"She asked for it when she came here," Vejita answered sharply. "Don't challenge me, boy. Take her away."  
Trunks gave a last, measuring look at the side of his father that he had never seen before, and then walked over and nudged Risu with a booted toe. "Wake up," he said, quietly enough so that only she could hear it. She didn't move. Trunks considered splashing water on her face or something, but then just picked her up and carried her into the house, followed by Vejita's piercing gaze. Well, what did he expect me to do? thought Trunks in desperation. He looked down at her peaceful face as he walked up the stairs to her room. She's so young, probably two years younger than me. I wonder where she came from?  
Trunks had reached her door, but then realized that it was shut. Oh, damnit, why now? he thought in irritation. He couldn't open it without dropping her or waking her, and he was in the mood to do neither. Trunks looked frantically up and down the hall, and noticed that he had left his door open. He carried her to his bed (still not made) and laid her down gently. He sat down. She yawned and curled up in fetal position, with one arm drawn beneath her head.  
Trunks smiled to himself, thinking that she must have had a hard night last night. She looks so small and vulnerable now he thought. Not at all like before, when she came straight up to me and… He let the thought trail off. He wasn't sure what she'd think if she woke up and saw him staring at her. He got up and left.  
  
2 hours later (5:00 PM)  
  
Risu awoke not knowing where she was. At first she thought Oh no, it's light out, I'm late…, but then remembered the past events of a few nights ago. Now I remember- I'm in Dragonball world now. Things are different.  
She rolled over, realizing that she was on a bed, and that she last remembered being hurt on the ground. Then there was this sharp pain in my side, like I was being hit by a ton of bricks, then I was flying through the air, and then… She couldn't remember what happened next, but she could guess. I got knocked out, and then someone nice brought me to my bed.  
And then Risu realized that it wasn't her bed. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she got to her feet. The room smelled faintly of cologne, and it was messy enough to make even her have a fit. A few dirty clothes littered the floor, and the bookshelf had about three books in it. Peering around the room, Risu located a sword in its scabbard leaning against a wall. Aha, Trunks' room she thought in satisfaction.  
She wanted to lie back down on the bed and sleep forever, but she didn't want to deprive Trunks of his bed for tonight. Risu stretched out tired muscles, and staggered out of Trunks' room, almost running into to Trunks on the way, who was standing outside his door.  
"Hey," he said quietly. "You okay? You were knocked out pretty bad."  
She smiled uncomfortably. "Yeah. Thanks for getting me out of that. I probably shouldn't have got to him like that, but it needed to be done."  
Trunks ran a hand through lavender hair nervously. "Are you serious? If I hadn't got to you in time, you'd have been better off dead if he didn't kill you. What exactly did you say that set him off like that anyway?"  
Risu looked at him wearily. "Wouldn't you like to know? He wouldn't be very happy with me if I repeated it. So do you and him do the little training thing together?" Trunks nodded. "Let me in on it sometime," she told him. "Though I'm warning you now: I can't fight, I can't fly. I'm starting out like I have a zero power level."  
Trunks did a double take. "You can't do anything? You've got a long way to go. Get a good night's sleep, trust me."  
Risu nodded. "Sure thing. See ya' tomorrow morning."  
"See ya'…"  
  



	2. Chapter Two (feel the creativity, people...

  
Chapter 2  
Now let's try that again…  
  
Plot elements:  
1 human girl  
2 Saiyan boys  
1 pissed off Saiyan prince  
1 unknown and yet-to-be-revealed bad guy  
  
Conflicts: Man vs. Man - bad guy (duh)  
Man/Woman vs. Himself/Herself - Vejita, Trunks, Risu, must I go on...  
Love - self-explanatory  
  
Can't we all play nice here?  
  
It was one thirty in the morning. Risu was asleep in her new room. Or, at least, trying to go to sleep. She wasn't really used to this room, because it was kinda dusty and just so... different from what she was used to.  
  
She covered her head with the pillow. She turned on her side. She kicked off all the covers, and then got up and put them back on the bed. This is not working she thought in despair. Risu finally got up and started pacing.  
  
A light appeared under the door in the bathroom, which was connected to hers, Trunk's, and Bra's room. The water in the sink turned on, off, and a quiet click indicated that someone had closed a cabinet. Risu sighed. It seemed that someone else was as restless as she was.  
  
Risu yawned and stretched. She had only been in Capsule Corp. for a day and a half so far, and most of that time she had spent hiding in her room. She wasn't really a people person, and she steered away from social interaction when she could. Unless it was with a cute boy... ... like Trunks she thought dreamily. She knew that she could never admit it to him, it would only scare him off, and anyway she preferred to keep her feelings to herself.   
  
I keep more in than is healthy for me, probably, but who am I supposed to talk to? Ryan's back where I came from. Oh, I miss him she thought with pang of homesickness. It grew inside her chest, until she couldn't help but let a small gasp escape. Suddenly the bathroom door opened into her room.  
  
"Are you okay?" Trunks' voice carried softly from the bathroom, his shadow falling across her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Risu said, wiping her face with the back of her hand.  
  
"Are you sure?" Trunks moved out of the light, blinding her for a few seconds until she realized that he was standing close to her.  
  
Way too close.  
  
She didn't move over, but instead shook her head. "Really, really," she told him. "Don't worry about me. I just can't sleep, that's all."  
  
He gave her a look that said I-don't-believe-you-but-if-you-want-to-live-in-your-own-illusion-it's-not-my-problem. "If you say so. If you can't sleep here, you can sleep in Bra's room or mine. I don't know about you, but when I used to not be able to sleep, I always felt better not alone. You really hid out in here yesterday. That's not really healthy."  
  
Risu dropped her guard for a few seconds and told him disbelievingly, "You don't really believe that load of crap, do you? That's exactly the same thing my mom used to tell me."  
  
Trunks shrugged. "Mine too. Feel free, anytime, come in and talk to me or whatever. I'm going to bed." He walked into the bathroom.  
  
Risu shielded her eyes from the light. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer."  
  
Trunks turned off the light. "Well, then, get your blanket and come on."  
  
Risu grabbed the comforter off of her bed and rolled it into a little ball. Tucking it under her arm and grabbing her pillow, she followed Trunks into his room. He kicked some of his dirty clothes out of the way to make a space in his floor. "Here you go," he said in the middle of a yawn. And with that, he fell back on his bed and closed his eyes.  
  
Risu spread the comforter down on the floor and rolled up in it. She started to hear the slow, heavy breathing of Trunks that signaled his sleep. It was comforting to not be alone. It made her remember...  
  
...Ryan's warm, gentle arms around her. She could imagine him whispering reassuringly in her ear, "It's gonna be OK. Just go to sleep." Risu blinked. She wished she wasn't always stuck as the girl who had to rely on her men; she had always thought herself self-sufficient enough to handle herself. Man, I don't need somebody to tell me it's all right. I just want Ryan back she thought wistfully.  
  
And it wasn't too hard to imagine that Trunks' sleeping form, dark against the darkness, was really her beautiful Ryan. Her locked heart opened, and for a split second, a glimmer of emotion roiled beneath the surface.  
  
Trunks shifted in his bed, and instantly Risu's heart closed again, and she was hard again (or at least as hard as she could be), and she acted asleep. Soon she didn't have to act, and sleep took over her exhausted body.  
  
It was still pretty early when Risu woke up. She looked up at the bed, and saw Trunks in a white t-shirt and red boxers, sleeping on his back with half of the covers kicked off of him. She grinned in amusement, put the covers over her head, and went back to sleep.  
  
About an hour later, Trunks opened his eyes. He looked down at the floor, and saw a big lump under the navy blue comforter that must be Risu. He considered waking her up, but decided against it. He shook rebellious lavender hair out of his eyes and slowly staggered to his feet. Careful not to step on Risu, he walked into the bathroom to splash water on his face.  
  
She pulled the covers down so that her head was uncovered. "So you're finally awake," she said quietly. He looked over at her from over the sink.  
  
"I could say the same about you," he responded. "Are you feeling okay? It seemed like there was something wrong with you last night..."  
  
"I'm fine," she said with finality, looking straight into and through his eyes and into the back of his head. He looked at her, with her eyes glowing catlike in the darkness, and looked away uncomfortably as she seemed to stare straight into his soul.  
  
"Well, good," he muttered almost to himself. "You'll be training with Vejita and I this morning."  
  
Risu was silent for a few seconds. "Why don't you call him Dad or Father? Why do you always just call him Vejita?" she asked quietly, sensing taut nerves and a sensitive subject.  
  
Trunks looked back at her. "I can call him whatever I want."  
  
"But he's your father... you can show at least a little affection," she pointed out.  
  
"No, I can't," he replied hotly, barely holding his anger in check. "He's not my father. He doesn't act like it, and so if he has to believe that he was never weak enough to produce a half-breed, then so be it. I am my own."  
  
She turned onto her stomach, boosted onto her elbows, and then shook her head. "Bastard son of a bastard. Who would've figured?"  
  
His angry glare pierced part of her heart. "Do you have a problem with my heritage?"  
  
"No." Risu looked away. "I'm just in a weird mood. Sorry."  
  
He smiled bitterly. "Aren't we all?"  
  
"Did you dream last night, Trunks?" Risu said, still looking down at her pillow, warm from her recent sleep.  
  
"I never dream," he answered with little emotion, studying his face in the mirror as if he had never seen it before. "What about you?"  
  
"I dreamed of a girl. I dreamed that she was fighting, and she was losing, almost dead. Her right hand was cut off at the wrist, and her left arm was ripped off right above the elbow. I could feel the pain." Trunks looked at Risu, and was startled to see her head hanging down. She was clutching her left arm painfully tight.  
  
"Her throat was cut and bleeding, and blood was seeping out of her mouth, too. She was on the verge of death, and then something happened. There was a bright light, so bright that I couldn't see. Then I could see her again, except it wasn't her, it was a woman. She was more muscular than you, and her hair was glittering and reached down past her ankles. Then her arms grew back, and she felt her throat. When she found blood there, she smiled all evil, and tasted it..." Now Risu was holding her throat, and her voice wavered a little.  
  
Trunks sighed, putting his hands on the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Don't emotionally drain yourself before you train. It makes it harder," he interrupted quietly. "Let's go. Vejita expects you to know exactly when you're supposed to be there, and that's now."  
  
Risu was silent for a moment, and then slowly climbed to her feet. "What should I wear?" she asked as she gathered her pillow and blanket.  
  
"Something that doesn't restrain you movement. Nothing tight unless it stretches."  
  
"Fine. I'll be downstairs in a few minutes." She walked past him through the opposite door into her room.  
  
Trunks glanced at her. "Hurry up."  
  
She threw her pillow and blanket on the floor, and turned around. She stuck her face through the crack and nodded solemnly before closing the door quietly.  
  
  
A few minutes later, the two restless teenagers sat at the kitchen table, avoiding looking at each other. Risu was staring at the cabinets like they were a fine work of art, or a puzzle to be solved. Trunks looked at the ground in the other direction.  
  
Vejita stalked into the kitchen, his short, muscular frame somehow filling the room with arrogance. He didn't seem at all surprised by Risu's presence. Instead, he seemed almost... angry. Imagine that.  
  
"Why is she here?" he snarled at his son, refusing to look in her direction.  
  
Trunks looked up at Vejita, easily meeting his eyes. "I invited her to train with us." He seemed expectant of the explosion, even though Vejita was as unpredictable as he was violent.  
  
Vejita looked at girl, who also had no trouble meeting his fierce gaze. "Good. Maybe she's learned not to provoke me. Maybe she wants to see real men fight."  
  
Risu just looked at him woodenly. "Maybe I have, and maybe I do."  
  
Vejita smirked. Then he looked sharply at Trunks. "Hurry up, then! We don't have all day, you worthless idiot. Move it!"  
  
Trunks shot an irritated glare at his father, and got to his feet with deliberate slowness. Vejita snarled, and backhanded Trunks across the face. The boy took the blow without so much as a wince.  
  
Risu was already standing when Vejita looked at her again. He led the way out the door, through the house, and into the chill morning air.  
  
Vejita took a deep breath of fresh air before stretching out his arms. Then, he looked straight at Risu. "So, no training whatsoever? Not even martial arts? What a pathetic excuse, not even..."  
  
Risu cut him off. "I said I don't know anything about power levels. I didn't say I had no martial arts training."  
  
Vejita nodded expectantly. "Enough so that you can follow me and Trunks?" Risu nodded. "Good," he said with a sneer, "because I wasn't about to teach you the basics. Let's go, boy!"  
  
Trunks dropped into a casual fighting stance, but Risu thought he was tense, almost nervous, inside. Suddenly, Vejita charged him. Trunks didn't move a muscle until Vejita was very, very close, and then they both vanished. Risu knew enough to figure out that they were moving fast - faster than the speed of light, or close to it. Every once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of them, but it was only fleeting.  
  
She suddenly had the feeling that they were right behind her, close enough to touch, and that if she didn't move she'd get beaten. She threw herself to the ground as Trunks flew backwards right where she'd been, almost as if he was flying back from the impact of a punch or kick. Vejita materialized behind him, and kicked (a front snap kick, her mind informed her), hard enough that Risu suspected that Trunks' back would be broken if it landed. Of course it didn't, because Trunks twisted aside at the last possible instant.  
  
She had gotten to her feet at this point, and was wondering absently what determined the end of these training sessions, when someone was thrown to the ground hard enough for the dirt to fly out of a foot-deep trench. Trunks launched himself out of the ditch with enough time to grab Vejita's leg, throwing the Saiyan prince to the ground with the momentum of an unsuccessful kick.   
  
Risu followed the battle for a few more minutes, discovering that if she almost extended her feelings out instead of her eyes, she could sense their position much easier. She could also almost sense something like the level of anger within them, a black ball of rage within each that was being unleashed in careful amounts on the other person. Is that their power level? Is that all it is? Just the amount of anger within each? she thought to herself.  
  
Finally, Trunks dropped to the ground, panting. "I'm done... for now..." he said in between heavy and forced breaths.  
  
Though Vejita hid it well, Risu could tell that he was as tired as his son, if not more so. "That was a nice warm-up," he said with the usual sneer. "Let's see how good you are, girl."  
  
Risu was a bit nervous, but she supposed that Trunks would stop Vejita before she was injured too badly... or dead. She hoped.  
  
She extended her senses, and locked onto the red fury that was Vejita, so much different and yet so much alike to the cold hatred locked within Trunks. Now, how exactly are you supposed to do this? she wondered idly as Vejita's fist caught her under the chin in an uppercut that her teacher would have called 'spectacular'.  
  
She picked herself up off of the ground and dusted off. "No, no, no," Vejita scolded. "Pay attention, or you'll get knocked out."  
  
Risu nodded as she dodged the next blow, and then the next. "Now stop jumping around, girl, and attack!" he yelled as he launched a fierce combination of kicks and punches. She was hard-pressed to block them, and she just knew that bruises would form where he hit her. As soon as she thought that, his foot came out of nowhere and knocked her into the dust.  
  
"Concentrate! You do almost well, and then you think something and get hit. Don't think! Just act!"  
  
"Don't think, just act," she muttered to herself. Hey, maybe I could do that same thing with the power levels as them... As Risu staggered to her feet, she felt inside herself for the little ball of built-up rage that was present in Trunks and Vejita. She was startled to find a pulsing, frozen flow of force within herself. It wasn't Vejita's fury, or Trunks' hatred. Instead, it was more like... well, like a frustration, when you want to do something so badly that you clench your fists and look up at the sky and scream until your voice is hoarse. Tightly woven in with this... frustration... was pain.  
  
She buried her arms in this tightly packed bubble of emotion, until finally it burst open, and molten power coursed through her veins. I feel so... powerful she thought in wonder.  
  
Vejita's punch seemed in slow motion, and she could feel his satisfaction, believing that he would knock her out easily with this one punch, to which she was not reacting. With a sigh, she easily grabbed his arm, and used his own momentum to throw him over her shoulder and onto the ground.  
  
He landed with enough impact on his back to make him grunt. Risu planted a foot on his stomach. He twisted around to grab her foot. She sprang back easily, and then wove forward to land a kick to his jaw.   
  
Vejita faded before the kick landed, moving quickly through the air. She still couldn't fly, or float, or levitate, or whatever, so she was on the defensive. Unfortunately for him, the harder he tried to hit her, the faster she dodged.  
  
Finally, he paused in midair. "Since you think you're so good, girl," he half-panted while trying to hide it, "let's see how you do against a fresh warrior. Trunks, it's your turn."  
  
Trunks stood where he had been sitting on the grass, watching their fight. He shrugged out of his tank top, revealing a sculpted, muscular torso. He smiled at her. "Let's go."  
  
Risu charged him, fading in and out so fast that he almost missed the punch coming in his direction. He grabbed her arm and yanked her to the ground, pinning her down with his knee. She reached back and caught hold of a muscular arm, literally throwing him a good twenty feet away. She leapt to her feet in seconds and stood, waiting for his attack.  
  
Trunks landed on his feet, and started at a dead run towards Risu. She faded out of sight, darting around him faster than he could follow. He ended up with a fist in his chest that sent him flying into the air. She caught his foot as he tried to fly higher, and somehow slammed him hard into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him.  
  
She had him facedown in a full nelson before he could think. "I win," she whispered so softly that he could barely hear with her lips an inch away from his ear. Trunks tried to wriggle out of her hold, but it was impossible.  
  
A little voice in the back of his head jeered at him silently. You failed again, boy. You couldn't possibly be of my blood. Even something half Saiyajin couldn't be as weak and pathetic as you. Each word stung like a hot knife, sliding softly into his skin again and again in burning agony.   
  
A wordless wrath rose up inside of him, and he flew into the air and then down again, bringing her down to the ground under him with bone crushing force. As they sailed towards the ground, she let go of him and jumped away as he drove himself deep into the ground.  
  
"If you do it that way," she taunted, "you'll beat yourself up before I get the chance to."  
  
Vejita called to them from a few feet away, "That's enough for today, children." He motioned to them. Trunks climbed to his feet as Risu walked back to her house. With a half-embarrassed, half-angry look directed at her back, he grabbed his tank top and slipped it on. As he walked past Vejita, the older Saiyajin put a hand on his shoulder (rather painfully tight). "Don't embarrass me like that again," he hissed quietly into Trunks' ear.  
  
Trunks pulled away and kept walking towards the house, not once looking back at his father.  



	3. Chapter Three - Good Things Come to Thos...

Chapter 3  
  
How long will it take before you get all emotional on me?  
Me? Emotions? I don't have any. You should know that by now.  
You lie. One wrong move from that Trunks guy and you'll be crying over him.  
I know I used to love him, more than I'd like to admit. But he's... he's not...  
He's not Ryan?  
Yeah. He's not Ryan.  
Ryan's a long way away from here.  
Do you think that matters?  
You're horny as hell.  
No I'm not! Well, not that much, anyways...  
Ryan's just another warm body that you can hold at night.  
No, he's not! He's the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, most beautiful -  
Stop the superlatives and face the facts.  
You can't make me.  
And then there's Goten...  
  
  
Risu felt the dream fading, even as she realized that she was dreaming. She desperately reached imaginary dream hands towards it, trying to reclaim it and return to the state of blissful ignorance that most dreamers wander in. The dream faded like wisps of smoke that were impossible to grasp with equally intangible fingers. Reluctantly, she returned to the world of the living, wishing that she could control it as easily as her dreams.  
Risu opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, which was lit by streams of sunlight coming in over the black, heavy curtains. Judging by the length of the light, it was a little past midmorning, and much too early to be up on a Saturday.  
She threw the dark, heavy comforter over her head and contemplated how long it would take her to get back to sleep and continue with her dream. It had been wonderful... but as soon as she tried to recall it, she could feel it slipping further into the depths of her mind. Perhaps if she returned to sleep, the dream would return to her.  
Risu closed her eyes and tried to let the whole world vanish from her mind, tried to meditate as her masters had taught her. She became one with the sounds of the cars outside, the vague rattle of wind against the window, the high, almost imperceptible whine of electricity that was audible in any city, and the sound of the pipes rattling as someone in the connected bathroom turned on the water. Trunks, or Bra, she thought.  
Her still sleep-muddled thoughts whirled like a rainbow at his name. Bra was almost kind when she had met Risu, but not overly so. The girl had caught the suspicion roiling off of her father, and was confused at how to react to this volatile mixture. Risu had also sensed a small amount of jealousy from her, regarding the way that Trunks was treating Bra because of her.  
Ah, Trunks. Risu tensed and relaxed as she thought about him... captured images of him flashing through her head like a slideshow: Trunks in the bathroom, brushing his teeth; combing his hair; sparring with his father, sweating in the early morning light; laughing; talking; smiling.  
How she wished that those smiles had been directed at her... she thought desperately, jerking back to a fully awake state as she grasped her head in an attempt to stop the traitorous thoughts. she wondered, disgusted at herself.  
The door that led to the bathroom opened, and Bra stepped in cautiously. Risu swung her firmly clasped head towards the girl, who looked apprehensively back at her. "What's wrong, Risu? I felt your thoughts..." Bra asked quietly, sending Risu a faded echo of a burst of roiled emotions that felt strangely unnatural. Risu recognized what looked like her own thoughts, but was confused at the taste of them... her anger, and fear, and happiness, seemed almost tainted, like water with oil swirling on the surface.  
"I'm sorry, Bra... I just have to get used to people being able to hear my thoughts if I think too hard," Risu said, hiding her own uneasiness with a forced smile. "I'll try to keep it down, ok?" Bra gave her a sideways glance, but nodded and went back into the bathroom.  
Risu went back to her mind, and searched her thoughts, trying to discover what this oily coating to her feelings was. It felt strangely inhuman, and just the memory of it made her want to retch. She calmed her jangled nerves, and got out of bed.  
  
"Good morning, human," Vejita snarled from his seat at the table. "I see that you chose to sleep late, instead of rise with the sun and train with us."  
Risu didn't even look Vejita in the eye anymore... she was thoroughly fed up with his mind games. "I chose to save my strength for a real challenge," she retorted, only paying him half-attention as she rummaged through the cabinets for something to make for lunch. "Obviously you haven't been giving me that lately." She turned her head to give him a sneer before looking back at the cabinets.  
He made an indignant sniff, and didn't reply. Risu moved over to the rice cooker, and scooped some into the bowl. She was very good with chopsticks, and shoveled the rice into her mouth quickly. When she finished, she put away the bowl in the Capsule Corp. Super Dishwasher (a handy item when there are Saiyans in the house).  
Risu was moving towards the stairs when Trunks rounded a corner and almost bumped into her. They both stopped, and Risu jerked back impulsively, losing her balance. She tried to lean forward to stop herself from falling, and Trunks caught her arm. His fingers were warm and gentle. Risu could feel herself blushing, even as she pulled away and hurried up the stairs. She could almost feel his deep, cold eyes on her back as she went up the stairs.  
she thought to herself in desperation. I can't even touch the guy without getting horny - how can I ever look Ryan in the eye again? Without thinking, Risu slammed the door to her room open, not realizing until it was too late what could happen with her newfound strength. She groaned as she saw the hole that the doorknob had made in the wall.  
Risu made a mental note to tell Bulma about that. She gingerly closed the door, turned around, and plopped on the bed belly-first. She felt bored and frustrated - a violent combination in anyone, especially someone with superpowers. she thought to herself. The thought was exhilarating: the possibilities were endless. One day she could just open the window and leave the places and people she knew behind. She didn't need anyone. Her life was an open book, and she held the pages.  
But right now, that freedom was restrained to this place by bonds that she couldn't remove. Some were understandable: gravity, logical, self-control. Others were more difficult to describe and even harder to break: her relationships, however newfound, with the people here, her need for a bed and food, her longing to fight. That was one of the things that she couldn't understand about herself - along with the ability to fight came the indescribable longing to be active, to beat the living pulp out of someone, to have them beg for their life. This part of her scared her.  
And suddenly she understood the restlessness that had plagued her since she had gotten here. I need to fight, and I need to win. Real fighting, too, not just that practice crap that Vejita insists upon. You'd think a guy like him could feel it too. I need to kill someone.   
The thought sprang into Risu's head, and surprised her. She had always played the pacifist, and felt deep within her hear that this was right. It marred what she thought of as her soul when she hurt someone that was weaker than her, and those were usually the only kind of people that she could hurt. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time that she had done that. Killing had always been out of the question; she had never felt that it was her right as a fellow human being to take the life of another.  
But now the longing surged within her. The feeling of cruelty was alien, and yet comfortable within her malnourished psyche. Something deep within was calling her. She closed her eyes and chided it for being impatient.   
There was always tomorrow morning.  
  
It was Sunday now, and as the sun showed its brilliant red rays above the tops of buildings, so Risu was budding, fresh as a new flower, from a resting, dreamless sleep. She felt... powerful, almost eager, and ready to fight. The air tasted sweet as she drew it deep within her lungs. She could almost feel the oxygen revitalizing her blood, and awakening things deep within her that she had never before felt.  
She dressed in durable workout pants and a stretchy tight shirt for easy movement. The morning was still gray, and the world was in monochrome as she stepped out onto the front lawn of Capsule Corp. Trunks and Vejita, who had not yet begun sparring, turned to see her standing unmoving on the lawn. They seemed to sense the change in her. Vejita narrowed his eyes against the light that her faint aura cast.  
"Do you feel that?" Trunks asked quietly, his head turned slightly towards his father while keeping his eyes on Risu. Vejita nodded carefully, and spread his legs slightly into what was clearly a ready stance. He gave Risu a look that was a challenge, or an invitation.   
She walked towards him, slowly, one step at a time. With each step, the quiet flame of her power pulsed around her. As she drew closer, she looked at Trunks as if noticing him for the first time and paused. With the look of dealing with a minor annoyance, she held her arm up, and batted it away from her face as if shooing a fly. Trunks flew back as if she had struck him a tremendous blow.  
Risu continued walking towards Vejita, Trunks momentarily forgotten. He smiled ironically... or was it a sneer? I knew you were lying, all along. he thought to her.   
She stopped again, this time as close as their auras of power allowed them to be without clashing. She smirked. "Do you think that you can deal with me so easily?" she replied to him. Her voice had subtly changed, and it was deeper and stronger than before. "I do not. And I was not lying." Suddenly she focused on him, a mental blow that knocked down his defenses and distracted him. It was only a split second that he lost track of her, despite his concentration, but that was all she needed. Now she had him by the throat, and was holding him up with one hand as if he weighed no more than a few pounds. She smiled up at him. "And now, I have my revenge for earlier. Consider the debt cleared."  
Her kick sent him flying to join his son on the ground. With that, Risu's anger and power seemed to drain from her fingertips. Her aura gradually returned to that of a normal human's. She felt drained, emotionally and physically. I guess now it's time to go back up to my room and watch the sunrise she thought in satisfaction.  
And with that, she left.  
  
  
Pssh, this one so short, and I feel kinda bad, cuz I promised it to Lichan by last Wednesday. *sighs* I am the lowest of the low... AND I have no fucking clue where the storyline is going... . 


End file.
